If you thought that a trip to Egypt meant
only a visit to the Pyramids, then think again, as going to Egypt and
missing out on the Nile River Cruises is indeed regrettable! This
beautiful African nation has a lot to offer and if you are looking to
enjoy a true blend of luxury and adventure then do avail the Nile
River Cruises.

The Nile River Cruises give the tourists a peek into the
Egyptian village life. The countryside, still very ancient in the way
that people live in clay huts, plough fields manually and use animal
pulled carts as vehicles, can be viewed first hand by the passengers
while sunbathing on the deck of a cozy ship.

Depending on your choice, you can avail of cruises of short or
long duration. The shorter trips, lasting for a three or four days
usually Nile River Cruise Ship between Luxor and Aswan. The longer cruises, lasting maybe a
couple of week or even more journey further north to Dendera. So if
you chose a long Nile River cruise, the attractions would include:

Trips to Cairo,
home to the pyramids

Museums and other
historical places

A brief voyage to
Abu Simbel, the most southern part of Egypt

A Nile
River Cruise holiday on the river Nile can be a memorable experience.
If you are looking for a relaxing vacation in Egypt, surrounded by the
luxuries of comfort, avail the big ships that substitute as floating
hotels (Nile River Cruises Ships). Spacious rooms, modern amenities
and lip smacking gourmet…it will indeed be a trip to remember.
However if the adventurous spirit in you calls out, you can try
traveling on the Nile feluccas. These narrow boats will not be as
luxurious as the big ships, but sleeping on the deck and having
sailors double as cooks has its own charm, and if this kind of a
holiday calls out to you, you will have a great time!

The Nile
River Cruises are available all year round, but in mid April, locks on
the Nile are shut because of water levels. The best time to go on a
cruise on the Nile is October to March when all the locks are open and
the weather is nice and cool.

So plan a
cruise holiday on the River Nile and get set to experience the land of
the pyramids closely.

Legendary
Nile River Cruises ...Egypt is the land in which civilization was nurtured. Steeped in history, it evokes memories of a glorious past. For millenniums, Egypt was and still is the cradle of civilization; it's rich in history and monuments proof of the heritage of humanity. En-route between Aswan
sightseeing and Luxor sightseeing on a
Luxury Nile Cruises ships is the only way to appreciate the mysteries of
all Ancient Egypt in Aswan (Nile Felucca), Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor, Qena,
Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu Temple,
Ramsis Temple, Nefertari Temple, Horus Temple.

Ancient Egypt is home to some of world's greatest wonders and some of these treasured sites are situation along the Nile River between Aswan and Luxor.

An Ancient Egypt trip along the Nile River is like a journey back in time itself. You can travel in comfort on this
Pharaonic dynasty making
stops at the landmarks of history; your voyage will be a luxurious passage of discovery. Nile
River Cruises begin in Aswan or Luxor, covering a distance of 200 kilometers.

Throughout your Nile River
Cruise you will be accompanied by a knowledgeable tour guide who will provide in-depth insights and a comprehensive understanding of the ancient
Egypt Kingdoms.

The History of the
Nile River:The Nile River, longest river in the world, located in northeastern Africa. From its principal source, Lake Victoria, in east central Africa, the Nile flows north through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea, a distance of 5584 kilometers (3470 miles). From its remotest headstream in Burundi, the river is 6,695 kilometers (4,160 miles) long. A traditional Nile river cruise start and end in either Aswan or Luxor (embarkation points) covering a distance of 200 kilometers. To view a map of the Nile cruise route

The river basin covers an area of more than 3,349,000 sq kilometers (more than 1,293,000 square miles). In pre-historic times, primeval forests covered the river banks when the river was a vast swamp composed of rushes, papyrus, and weeds. However, due to thousands of years of human intervention, the Nile throughout Egypt flows peacefully through green fields - looking much like a rich, well cultivated European plain. The Delta, an area of about 10,000 square miles, is a broad swamp intersected by canals. The Mediterranean Sea influences this region bringing a regular winter rainy season. The Upper Nile valley is one great waterway, with insignificantly small irrigation canals scattered along its length. It is much drier than the Delta, with little to no rain. The lack of seasons makes it much easier to cultivate the land in the Upper Nile. Thus it was cultivated first and is much less swampy than the Delta, which is still being converted into arable land.

In Luxor cross the West Bank to the Necropolis of Thebes and
Osiris, God of the underworld. Venture into the tomb of the Boy King
Tut-Ankh-Amun. En-route at Esna, visit the recently excavated temple of god Khnum and then stop over at the Temple of Horus built in commemoration of the battle between Horus and his brother Set. Further down the river the Temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the crocodile and healer gods. At Aswan wrap up the journey with a ride in a lateen-sailed
Nile Felucca and a visit to the Temple of Philae dedicated to the Goddess Isis.

Following is a list of our featured
Luxury Nile River cruise ships we offer. We personally select each
Luxury Nile River cruise ship we offer based on stringent quality control standards. We are confident you too will appreciate our selection we discriminately recommend.
Ancient Egypt Sightseeing excursions are included in our Nile River cruises; guided
sightseeing in Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor,
Karnak temple. Time permitting optional day
tour to Abu Simbel may be included which start and end in Aswan.

We offer Nile River Cruises starting from 4 days / Nile River Cruises starting from 3 nights up to 8 days / Nile River Cruises starting from 7 nights. The number of days you want to cruise on the Nile River and the Nile River cruise ship you choose will determine the
Egypt sightseeing excursions in your Nile River cruise. Following is a general list of
Egypt Sightseeing and excursions included for various Nile River cruises:

Standard
Nile River Cruises Ships

4 Star

Standard
Nile River Cruises Ships

Following is a list of our featured Nile River cruises ships we offer categorized by standard. To view complete details including day-by-day sailing itineraries and routes for a specific Nile River cruise ship click on the name of the Nile River cruise ship of your choice.

Egypt
Nile River Cruises & Egypt Sightseeing Tours

We offer different
Egyptian holidays combining a Nile
River cruise with visits to the main sights of Egypt. We offer many
cruise and stay options, of lengths from 8 to 17 days. Itineraries can
include Red Sea Diving Holidays, Red Sea Liveaboard Safari, Western
Desert Oasis Safari, Cairo and the Pyramids, or extensions to Abu Simbel
by lake Nasser Nile River cruise ship or air.

Visits to Cairo are usually based on Giza to
the south east of the city, where you find the Pyramids and the Sphinx
and be amazed by their size. The fascinating Egyptian Museum includes
the burial treasures of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. In the evening is a
Sound and Light Show in the shadow of the Sphinx.

From Cairo fly to Luxor or Aswan to join your
Nile River cruise ship - alternatively start your holiday by direct
flight to Luxor. From Luxor some cruises go north to Dendera, for a
visit to the temple of the God Hathor, then sail back to Luxor.

From Luxor visit the Valley of the Kings, with
its hundreds of tombs, most famously that of Tutankhamun. See also the
Valley of the Queens, Deir El Bahri, the mortuary temple of Queen
Hatsheput and the Colossi of Memnon. Cruises also offer visits to the
temple complexes of Luxor and Karnak, both noted architectural sights.

Your cruise ship sails via the river lock at
Esna to Edfu. The temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed God
Horus, is one of the best preserved in Egypt. Further down the River
Nile is the famous Kom Ombo temple dedicated to the crocodile God Sobek,
with its mummified crocodiles.

Aswan is a colorful city, noted for its
markets. Visit the Aswan High Dam, and the temple of Philae, which was
dismantled and rebuilt to avoid being submerged under the Dam's rising
waters. Kitcheners Island is a beautiful botanic garden with many exotic
plants and trees.

From Aswan there are excursions by air to the
temples of Abu Simbel. This massive ancient site was moved from its
original position and rebuilt to avoid being submerged by the rising
waters of the new Lake Nasser. The people in the picture (bottom right)
indicate its huge size.

It is also possible to cruise from Aswan to Abu
Simbel and see marvelous desert landscapes, particularly sunrises and
sunsets. This allows visits to temples and sights only accessible by
water, on the shores of Lake Nasser. There are virtually no towns or
villages, or mooring sites, so small boats are used for transport
ashore. Excursions include Wadi El Seboua and the temple of Ramsis II,
Kasr Ibrim and the relocated temple of Amada.

The Luxury Nile River Cruises listing below shows the length of
each cruise holiday and the areas covered. Kindly Click on the Luxury
Nile River Cruise name to
reach the detailed information pages.

Tour to Abu Simbel . . . a witness turned to
stone as evidence to posterity of the power of the divine Pharaoh.

The Abu Simbel temples were carved out of a mountain on the west bank of
the Nile. There are two: the colossal temple of Ramsis, which was
dedicated to the Egyptian gods Ra-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah, and to the
deified pharaoh himself. The smaller temple of Nefertari was dedicated
to Hathor, the cow-headed Egyptian goddess of love. In the doorway to
the main temple are four statues of Ramsis, each more than 20 meters
high, accompanied by smaller statues of the Queen Mother and Nefertari.
Above the doorway stands a figure of the falcon-headed sun-god
Ra-Horakhty. Inside, eight statues of Ramsis hold up the roof of the
Hypostyle Hall; the relief's on the wall show the pharaoh victorious in
various battles. In the next hall, Ramsis temple and Nefertari temple
are shown in front of the gods and the solar baroques that will carry
them to the underworld. The innermost chamber is the sacred sanctuary,
where the gods (including Ramsis) sit on their thrones. Twice a year;
every February 22nd and October 22nd at sunrise, light penetrates the
temple and illuminates the faces of these figures.

If you decide to stay overnight
at Abu Simbel, the Abu Simbel Sound & Light Show is truly memorizing; you
will not want to miss this incredible display of history reflecting off
the massive stone monuments with laser lights and amphitheater quality
background music. Abu Simbel Sound & Light Show is performed every night
at the Karnak Temple. At dusk, enjoy a magical experience as floodlit
buildings are silhouetted against the volcanic rocks and surrounding
water. Let your imagination take you back in time to experience how the
ancient Pharaohs might have lived. For
complete details for this optional tour excursion

Evening Abu Simbel Sound & Light Show:

There are evening more that one of Abu Simbel
Sound & Light Show available in Aswan at the Philae Temple and in Luxor at the Karnak Temple. Some Nile River cruise schedules afford you time for optional land tour excursions.